Any early-Z enthusiasts like the Z32 also?

[skunkbud280Z]

I always wanted a 240Z, wound up with a 280Z, fell in love with the 300ZX Twin Turbo in 1990 when I read Motor Trend's article. I even won a $20 bet that the new Z would smoke the Ford Mustang, which was a big deal back then as I was just a kid.

But anyway, I posted a video on youtube hybridizing two old Nissan ads for the Z32 over some Filter music. My old title for the vid was talking about Barbie and Ken and I think I attracted some pre-teen girls who didn't think very fondly of my participation in the youtube community.

Anyway I thought some of you fellow Z-heads would appreciate it more. It combines a few ads; one where the Z-driver is dreaming about being chased, the other is the Toys commercial where GI Joe picks up Barbie at the mansion.

Hope some of you folks like it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dyoJKJ0G8U

[sblake01]

I have a "life is a journey, enjoy the ride" T-shirt with those characters in a Z32 on it. I think those commercials are also on the Z car microfiche CD.

[Arne]

I tend to prefer more "vintage" cars for my play-toys. But if it came down to it, I'd far rather have a nice Z32 than a new 350Z.

[zed2]

Driving a Z32 is a completely difference experience from the S30. Air conditioning, sound system, leather make the Z32 a great cruiser. The S30 is more "unrefined" and can be wrenched-on very easily. The Z32 is a far safer car, from the pretensioned seat belts to the crumple zone. (I am always conscious of this fact when I am riding with my kids or wife!)

There are so few of both the Z32 and S30 in the Dallas area that I am often asked about both. (I do not really like to draw attention, since most want to race (Z32) or touch the car (S30). Neither propect excites me.)

Both have their place in an enthusiast’s garage.
Keith

[SteveJ]

Actually, I was in Virginia on business yesterday, and another person attending the meeting is a member of the Tidewater Z club, who owns a twin turbo & a 70 240Z.

[sblake01]

About 8 years ago, my then brother-in-law, James, purchased a 92 Z32 non-turbo. He lived in Houston, TX at the time and the car was out here. I was paid, by him, to drive it from West Covina, CA to Houston and given a plane ticket for the flight back home. I 'enjoyed the ride' more on the way there than the ride back.

[five&dime]

Steve, was it burgundy? If so, that's my dads old TT Z32 he sold last year (Diseazd)

Just recently my dad had 2 Z32's (one TT)
and 3 S30's

Now he has the 3 S30's (70,71,72) and the 90 300 non turbo

I love the Z32's!! They handle great. Such a well balanced car IMO even thought it is a heavy SOB.

[sblake01]

No, it was white. It was also a solid roof not a t-top. I remember him calling it a 'slicktop' and commenting on how hard they are to find.

[five&dime]

I meant SteveJ The post before yours

[AZ2NV]

Have both.... 2 Z32's and a 240 !!!!!

Restoring the '71 240Z .... and it is still the most fun to drive !!

[zbane]

Sllicktops are indeed hard to come by, and are the preferred version for some due to the additional structural rigidity and lightness gained by not having two pieces of glass over your head.
When the 350 came out, a friend of mine here drove his 1990 Z32 to the dealership to compare the two side by side. After he had taken the 350 out for a test drive, the salesperson asked him if he'd like to trade in his "old" z for the new one. The answer was a resounding no. The Z32 had more usable hatch space and was much more comfortable to drive (at least for him).
Oddly enough, the salesperson agreed and said that that wasn't the first time he'd been told those exact two things by other Z32 owners.

(edit: Thanks Stephen!!, to much typing, not enough thinking)

[sblake01]

David, I'm sure you mean Z32.

[SteveJ]

Steve, was it burgundy? If so, that's my dads old TT Z32 he sold last year (Diseazd)

Just recently my dad had 2 Z32's (one TT)
and 3 S30's

Now he has the 3 S30's (70,71,72) and the 90 300 non turbo

I love the Z32's!! They handle great. Such a well balanced car IMO even thought it is a heavy SOB.

Sorry, I don't know anything about the cars other than what I posted. I'm sure I'll run into the guy again since we are working on the same project.

[MEZZZ]

Sllicktops are indeed hard to come by, and are the preferred version for some due to the additional structural rigidity

(edit: Thanks Stephen!!, to much typing, not enough thinking)

I can relate to this. Many years ago I owned an "87 Toyota Supra with the targa roof. It handled totally different with the roof off, almost dangerous if you were not paying attention. I noticed quite a few over the years that were wrecked, probably due to the lack of rigidity. I rarely took it off and traded it after a year.

[hls30.com]

I missed this thread somehow, I have always thought the Z32 was the second most beautiful Z-just behind the 240Z.
I bought a Z32 convertible around a month ago-bent valves, worn seats, dirty ultra suede, missing the bass knob on the original radio, weathertight but worn top(the opaque back window cracked when I folded the top down...so she has been covered when I am not working on her.) a chunk missing out of the lower lip-cracked fog light lenses, missing splash panels, broken antenna drive, and other odds and ends issues. It had been sitting for over 2 years. It was almost complete, and totally original. The weather strips were good as was the original super white pearl paint
I had asked about it last year just in conversation, and the owner of the shop-Mickey Carter, pulled me aside one day and said the delays with the car were coming to an end, and the owner was anxious to sell it. I offered $1,000 and was handed the title and a titanium key!
I towed her home. put a battery in to check systems-but not the primary ignition- and found everything I could check without starting the car worked except the digital clock, and the CD changer(the mechanism made noise, but not through the speakers, but I discovered someone had taken it lose form its mounts, na dit may well be disconnected signal wise. Neither theThe FSM nor the Owners manual deal well with the radio in a convertible...and I still have to find a replacement Bass knob!
Will
I bought a documented 26K JDM engine, and have replaced the valve cover gaskets, the PCV valves and hoses, the cooling and fuel system hoses, the waterpump, all of the belts, thermostat, engine harness, plugged the throttle body coolant(warming) removed and plugged the EGR, manifold/throttlebody warming plumbing and passages, and several other things listed in five pages of a Nissan invoice-including most of the parts witn issues listed earlier.
I have new leather, a new top is on the way, I am hunting down the bass knob for the radio, and truing to find the ultra suede replacement article I found and thought I bookmarked right after buying the car.
This week end should be the last of the engine work, and I expect to start her up Tuesday...and maybe even drive her to the Z club meeting that night!

[rdefabri]

Always wanted a non-turbo, slicktop with a manual tranny. Z32 is definitely my second favorite of the Z line!

[srbigbutt]

I definately miss both my Z31 and Z32. The Z32 TT was just awesome. All 3 Zeds have definately been a blast to drive. I love the Top Gear video of all the different Z's in a drag race including the 350z and a 90s TT just walks away from them all.

[westpak]

I have always been into Z's, in college a buddy had a 72 240Z that I loved, then when I was a grown up the Z32 TT caught my eye but too broke to buy one, then the 350Z came out and I was looking for a new car and it was coming out so I had to get it, mainly because it was a Z.

Then I went backwards, I came across a nice Z32 TT a couple of years later at a great price so I jumped on it, then this year I came across a nice 240Z and had to jump on it. I have my favorite Z's in the garage, no more room.

[f1race79]

Have a 240Z and a 280ZX, think I am going to start looking for a Z32 TT for a daily to replace the Honda.

[z74z90]

It's an addiction......74 260Z 2+2, 90 300ZX NA, 90 300ZX TT. Original owner of the first two.

[hls30.com]

Well, I was hoping this afternoon would be be the day to start the 300ZXC after the engine swap...NOT!
I went out an bought Dexron/Mercon, Prestone, and seriously high detergent oil, took the old battery to be tested after trickle-charging it for 48 hours, filled all of the fluiuds except...in the bustle of the day forgot to get some GAS! I drained the stinkiest of the stuff I have ever smelled out of the tank, and intend to flush the lines before plumbing the injectors.
Oh well, a fresh start, and a good nights sleep never hurt anyone when getting ready to crank a newly replaced, previously stored engine...hopefully I will find I didn't miss anything else...
Hopefully I will be able to get the tag and the insurance in time for the CZC meeting tomorrow night.
Will

[hls30.com]

Obviously yesterday came and went!
Everything was sewn up, put in 6 gallons of high test, turned the key healthy turn over noises, but no fire up!
Traced to no fuel pump cooperation.
Fuel pump relay checks out, power to the pump, no spinning!
figure out how to get to the thing-Nissan really did a poor piss-poor job in the fsm on dealing with the convertibles(at least in '93).
pop open the access and the tank is full of rust colored growth-it wipes off to reveal a pretty talk surface underneath, but man
Just goes to prove the point if a car is going to be sitting for more than a few weeks, add stabil, if it has been sitting more than a year-just go ahead and drop the tank-in an S30 you can drop the tank in about an hour taking your time having never done it. In the Z32. it looks like a serious undertaking-drive shaft, exhaust, subframe-hell as with most everything on this car, half of the car has to be removed to repair almost anything!
Will

[hls30.com]

Well,
with because the tank has two 6" diameter sender openings(saddlebag style tank), allowing me to get to most of the tank, I chose to clean it out with simple green, some really hot water, and a serious slathering of elbow grease!
I flowed around three cup fulls of loose fine sawdust consistency crap out with carefull aiming of the hose, then got busy and scrubbed everywhere I could reach(most of the tank) with a shop rag. The default sender side had a plastic baffle in it-fortunately held in by 5 bent over metal strips-that I was able take loose, and manipulate the baffle inside the tank to clean the areas it covered.
add an hour, a blow dryer, and a four foot piece of 2"pvc pipe(to keep the blow dryer out of the fumes exiting the tank)and the tank was bone dry and back to a dull gray zinc finish inside!
Since I had power to the sender harness, I replaced the fuel pump-certain it was simply frozen from being suspended in all of the crap I took out of the tank-only to find the new pump didn't work! I then thought "what a dipstick for I was for assuming", and ran my jumpbox to the old pump and started right up...$250 I shouldn't have spent...then I tried power directly to the new pump-suprise, it worked too.
Tracking the issue further, the power for the pump is sent through the sender cap through a brass rivet sandwiching and centering what amounts to two plastic washers, a rubber insulator, and a brass washer that is connected to the pump. I had power to the rivet and not to the brass washer it was swagged on to! Contact cleaner was no help-the first time DeOxit has let me down-so I punted...
I trimmed off the swagged part of the rivet, and separated the rivet and the brass washer. As with a typical rivet, there was a significant hollow portion still usable-though not as intended. I found the hollow portion was around 2.1mm in diameter, and the rivet was 3mm in diameter, so I drilled the hollow portion slightly larger and used a 2.5mm stainless machine screw to thread the hole to a depth of approx 1cm. Then I put two nuts on the machine screw, trimmed it to size with a dremel cut-off wheel, dressed the end, put a stainless lock and flatwasher on the screw and tightened her up! When tested, the pump ran like it should I replaced the sender, put in some gas and started her up.
She ran smooth(vibration-wise), but noisy(empty lifters-seriously loud squeeling belt) immediately-more white smoke than I could believe-thought briefly a head gasket had given up...
After 20 minutes the smoke tapered off to none, and the engine ran even smoother(I wouldn't have thought it possible) and quiet as a mouse!
I even had time this afternoon to get her insured and tagged! Now I just have to get new tires and pads, and take her out on the road!
A friend who is a Nissan tech came over, and used his reader to reset the ecm, found a bad Vehicle Speed Sensor, and remarked how dead on everything else was! We did not one peculiar dripping sound with no accompanying puddle...something to keep and eye on as I take her off the jack stands...

Will